On Mon, 29 Apr 2002, Ethan Dicks wrote:
--- Doc <doc(a)mdrconsult.com> wrote:
I was 35
when I found that the entire English-speaking
world doesn't "put stuff up" (put stuff away).
I don't think we "put stuff up" (except for curtains, wallpaper and
posters ;-), but here, we talk about cars and dishes that "need washed"
(as opposed to "needs wash*ing*" or "needs *to be* washed").
What really drives my (Massachusetts-born) Spousal Equivalent up the
wall is when I'm [about to, going to] "fixing to" do something.
Oh, we have a great one around here- "take and leave", as in
"take and leave your car here, and we'll fix it". It's likely
related to the usage as in "he's taken to drinking", which
around here becomes "he's took to drinkun". A drinking buddy
who was a mechanic would flame on when he'd hear that phrase.
"Fair to middlin'" is my usual response to the casual how-are-you.
It gets a lot of raised eyebrows at my current orkplace, but then
we have many transplants there, and I'm local.
-dq